A Journey of the Thousand Islands
by wildthing0088
Summary: When 99 goes missing, Max needs some unlikely help in searching the 1750 islands that mark the beginning of the St. Lawrence River...this is my first shot at GS Fanfic please RR!
1. Prolouge: The Mission

A Journey of the Thousand Islands Begins With a Single Beer

Written by Wildthing

Prologue: The Mission

DRRRRINNNGG! DRRRRINNNGG! The call of a telephone awoke Maxwell Smart, CONTOL agent 86. He rolled over and turned on the light, trying to untangle himself from the knot of blankets. He reached over for his shoe, his eyes blinded in the bright light. He found his left shoe- no, wait, wrong shoe phone. He tossed the one aside and snatched up his ringing right shoe. "Agent 86." He answered.

"Max, it's the Chief."

"Chief?"

"Yes Max. It's me."

"Oh, Hello, Chief."

"Listen, Max, you need to get down to CONTROL right away. I have an assignment for you."

"An assignment? Gee, Chief, I thought I wouldn't be getting any a assignments until 99 got back from California."

"Max, 99 went to New York. And she's not back yet. That's why you have an assignment. Get down to CONTROL right now."

15 minutes later, Max sat in one of the chairs in the Chief's office. The Chief sat behind his desk drinking a cup of coffee, deep circles underneath his eyes.

"Max-"

"Where is she, Chief?" Max asked, his heart pounding.

"We're not sure, Max." The Chief replied, sounding worried. "We received our last transmission from agent 99 three days ago from Clayton, a small village in the Thousand Islands region of upstate New York. We've been expecting a transmission from her for the last 24 hours. She was investigating a KAOS smuggling ring, and she was close to finding a key drop off point. Now you need to go to Clayton to look for 99 and help her find the key point. If we get anything from 99 while you're gone, we'll let you know."

"Chief- Three days with no contact?" Max asked, surprised. The Chief nodded, putting down his coffee. Max and 99 were like son and daughter to him, and he hated to tell Max that she was missing.

"I'm leaving. I can't stand the thought of us sitting here and 99 in trouble." Max said; he stood up and turned to leave the office.

"Max?" Max turned back sharply, knocking over the Chief's coffee cup.

"Sorry about that, Chief." Max said. The Chief stared.

"Good luck, Max."


	2. Part I: The Alliance

PART I: The Alliance 

Max sighed as he entered the old bar. After a week of searching the town of Clayton, there was no end in sight. He sat up at the bar and ordered a Budweiser. Around him the murmurs of tourist conversations filled the room. He chugged down half of the bottle, then turned around to scan the dimly lit room. Except for a few hustlers looking sour, everyone seemed content and comfortable as the discussed their travels. Max drank the rest of the Bud and put the empty bottle back on the bar and stared into the beer-stained mahogany wood.

"Hey? Beer?" a female voice asked. Max looked up to find himself face-to-face with a tall young woman, tanned and heavy-busted. She wore a periwinkle-blue swimsuit, and her long, chestnut brown hair ran down far past her shoulders.

"Oh, yeah, thanks" he replied, then turned away. The bartender took his empty bottle and left for another. Max watched her go. The swimsuit was one piece, and she looked pretty good with a pair of short pale denim cutoffs, her long hair barely reaching past her butt. Her legs were strong and lean, the muscle extended all across her body, simple leather sandals on her feet. Max turned back to the bar. A few moments later, she returned with a cold bottle. She noticed his depression.

"Wife gone?" she asked. Max looked up at her.

"Yeah." He muttered under his breath, avoiding her eyes. The bartender leaned her elbows on the bar in front of him.

"Cheating?" she asked.

"Nah." Max muttered, still avoiding her eyes. He took a breath. "She's gone." He said.

"She _died_?" The bartender whispered. "Awesome!" Max looked up at her for the first time. Her eyes were an inquisitive kelly green, the type of eyes that searched through him twice as fast as the police and uncovered three times as much.

"You might say that. No, she's not dead." Max said, sounding more confident than he was.

The bartender stared.

"She's just gone? No phone call? No note? No middle finger outstretched?"

Max shook his head. The bartender leaned back. "Damn, there's no fun in that. It's cruel."

Max smiled for the first time in days.

"Yeah, it is cruel." The bartender stared back.

"Do you think she crossed the border?" Max shook his head.

"She didn't go voluntarily."

"Shit, godamn it- some guy took her?" Max straightened up, trying to fight back tears. He didn't want to cry, especially in front of the type of girl that could break his heart, and then his arms without breaking a sweat. All he could do was nod. The bartender continued to stare, trying to see if Max's story was true.

"All-all I've been doing is looking, and there- there's no sign of her. I've only searched the town, and I think she's somewhere on- on the river," Max began, trying to hold back tears. "I can't search the river very well because, well, I'm a tourist- I'm from Washington, and I don't know where to- to begin." The monster inside of him that was his love for 99 started pushing the tears out. He turned his head away and wiped the tears with his arm.

"Damn." The bartender whispered. "Hey." She said, "In as much as I love seeing a man cry…" (Max quickly wiped his eyes) "…I think that if you love your wife enough to be up here from Washington, I should give you some help." Max turned back to her. "I'm dead serious. A good friend of mine's lived here all her life. Knowing her, she'll be happy to be your, uh, guide. Y'know, to help you look. For a modest fee, of course- motorboats don't run on love." Max stared.

"You sure you're dead serious?" he asked.

"If you don't find her after two weeks, you don't have to pay." The bartender said. Max held out his hand.

"Deal." He said. The bartender shook it. "By the way, my name's Max." he said as she leapt over the bar.

"Barry!" She yelled over her shoulder, "I'm outta here!" She turned back to Max. "Max. Call me Cassie." Max paused as he slid off his stool.

"Cassie." He repeated.

"Yeah, Cassandra Ann Raye." She said as she led him out of the bar. They stopped at the corner. "It's a three-block walk, I usually ride my bike." She said. Max had walked from the hotel.

"It's fine. I don't mind a walk."

"Good." Cassie said as she led him at a fast pace down the sidewalk of the business district. Max jogged to catch up with her.

"So, who's this friend of yours?" he asked. Cassie looked at him.

"She's a fisherman's daughter, and has more testosterone than any man I know. She can bench 205, and knows every island and channel in the Thousand islands. All 1750 islands."

"There are 1750 islands? Jeez, what'd she do? Count 'em all?" Max said, laughing. Cassie stared.

"Some survey counted them in the fifties." she said, and Max stopped laughing. "Gray's good, real good."

"Gray?" Max paused. Cassie stopped and turned to him.

"Yeah, Gray. Her full name's Jennifer Grace O'Connor. The last guy who called her 'Jennifer Grace' is in Riverside recovering from a cracked skull. She beat him pretty good."

"Gray." Max said quickly as they started waking again. "By the way, what's Riverside?"

"Only American hospital for fifty miles." Cassie said, unwavering. "And about your wife…"

Max turned away.

"Max, listen, I know it's gonna be tough, okay? I know that. The only way we'll be able to help is if you give us some information."

"I know…" Max said quietly. He was unsure whether or not to tell Cassie the truth. "It's just that…"

"Just what?" Cassie asked. "It's not like you're a secret agent or anything like that. Imagine, a spy here in Clayton!" She started laughing. Max gave a forced laugh.

Cassie stared into his eyes. "Oh, shit godammit- you are a secret agent, aren't you?" Max glanced to either side, and nodded slightly. "Damn." Cassie whispered, still looking into his eyes, "Your wife's a secret agent too, huh?"

"99." Max muttered.

"And she's being held captive by an enemy organization, right?" Max nodded, tears spilling out of his eyes. Cassie turned away. "Damn." She repeated. "Max, c'mon, let's get to the marina." She quickened her pace. Max followed, keeping his eyes down.

They crossed Route 12, and came to a small, two story-split level house, with a garage that led into the water and a long, empty dock. The sign nailed to the wall read "FRENCH CREEK MARINA: OFFICE". Cassie led Max to another house on the water; this one had a single floor over a garage. A fairly long dock jutted out into the water where a medium-sized steel-bodied fishing boat bobbed in the water. A yellow "POSTED: PRIVATE PROPERY" sign was nailed to the door. Cassie pointed. "That's where we live. Gray's down at the docks." She pointed across the bay to a labyrinth of boats and docks. Max sighed as they continued towards the docks.

"Cassie, you gotta promise me something." He said.

"What?' Cassie asked.

"About the whole 'secret agent' thing, you need to keep that quiet. Gray too. 99's mother doesn't even know that her daughter's a spy."

Cassie made a fist and pounded her chest with a dull WUMPF!

"Promise, Max, I won't tell a soul. I swear. It's a part of our deal. Don't worry about Gray," she added, noting the look of insecurity on Max's face, "I'm the talkative one."

Max nodded. "Good."

The docks were mildly crowded; fishermen were bringing their boats in from fishing all day, while others were preparing to leave for the evening catch. Cassie led Max past all the chaos of the docks up to a small store, where two men stood, talking. Well, at least one of them was a guy. The other was taller than everyone else, tanned and muscular, wearing an old "MONTREAL CANADIENS: 1966 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS" sleeveless shirt and a short sleeved-sleeved flannel shirt, exposing muscles Max had always hoped for but never got. They also wore denim shorts that barely reached the knee, and leather sandals. Their entire body was covered in black hairs, and their hair was pulled back in a long braid. A huge Newfoundland dog/North American Black bear lay at their feet.

"Gray?" Max blurted out. The tall one acknowledged Max's presence with a nod.

"S' me." Gray said in a deep voice. Max stared. Gray's face was freckled, with dark eyes and sunburned cheeks. "Hey Case? Wha'choo doin' back?" she asked.

Cassie motioned to Max. "Max needs some help."

Gray nodded again. The other man at the shop was busy with a customer, so Gray left with Max and Cassie to go back to the house. The dog followed.

"Who's the dog?" Max asked, stroking its large furry head.

"Wolfe."

"It doesn't look like a wolf. It looks like a bear. "

"Wolfe's its name. Add an 'e'.

"Gray, listen, when we're done with Max, we gotta keep the stuff we found out quiet, okay?"

Gray nodded. "Needs help wi' summat?"

"We gotta find his wife."

"Los' on the river?"

"Taken and hidden on the river."

"Any ideas?"

"Pretty sure she didn't get to the Canadian mainland, but still..."

"Crossover?"

"I doubt they'd take her that far upstream."

"Jes' gotta keep 'em off the ships."

The St. Lawrence Seaway had been constructed ten years ago, connecting shipping from the Great lakes to the Atlantic. If 99 was on one of the ships, she could be anywhere from Duluth to Montreal. Max listened to the conversation; the monster inside of him calm, like it knew that enlisting the help of two 16-year-olds- a river rat and a bartender- was the right thing to do.


	3. Part II: The Search

PART II: The Search 

"Okay, so here's what we do," Cassie began as Gray unrolled a huge chart of the Thousand Islands. "Gray, pin up the chart and pin where you know someone who'll give us a hand." Gray nodded. "Max," Cassie said, turning to him, "Call your agency and have them give us permission to cross the border freely. I don't want to have to deal with Border Patrol or the Coast Guard whenever we jump the line." Max nodded and pulled off his shoe phone. He dialed CONTROL's number and stepped outside.

"Hello?" The Chief answered on the first ring.

"Chief? It's agent 86 here."

"Max! Any sign of 99?"

"No, not yet. She's not in the town of Clayton."

"We haven't had any transmissions, nothing from KAOS." The Chief sounded disappointed "Have you searched the surrounding areas, Max?"

"I'm getting to it. I've got help."

"Really? Who?"

"Two girls; Cassie Raye and Gray O'Connor."

"Gray?"

"Her full name is Jennifer Grace. Trust me, Gray suits her better."

"I see… and they're helping you how?"

"They know their way around the islands. They're 1750 islands within a fifteen mile-radius, Chief."

"They're your guides?"

"Yeah, and we need your help. Call the Coast Guard and Canadian Border Patrol- we want customs-free access to all the islands."

"I'll do that, Max- What's the name of the boat you'll be using?"

"Uhh… _Seaway Osprey_, registration number NY1209."

"Okay, Max, I'll call you when you're clear."

"Thanks Chief."

Max hung up his hoe and went back into the house. Gray's map was hung up on the far wall, a thumbtack every island or so, marking places where she had friends. Cassie had taken the liberty to make a chart on the nearby black chalkboard, listing the names of groups of islands. "There's six different groups, " she said. "I counted Wolfe and Wellesley as separate ones since they're the biggest ones and'll take more time to search."

"Hell yeah." Gray nodded. Wolfe barked in agreement.

"That gives us nine days of planned searching."

"And after fourteen?" Max asked.

"We keep looking, but you don't pay us."

"And if you do find her within the two weeks?"

Gray cleared her throat.

"$1500." She said. Max nodded in agreement.

"I'm good with that."

The next morning, Max was bouncing up and down in Gray's prized _Seaway Osprey_, navigating the waters behind Canadian Wolfe Island, the largest of the Thousand Islands and the biggest obstacle. Cassie sat in front of him, Wolfe sat by Gray, and Gray was behind him at the wheel (or in the case of the _Seaway Osprey_, the handle that controlled the position of the outboard engine) The Chief had called earlier that morning; the Coast Guard and Border Patrol both gave the _Osprey_ clearance through the border. After that, only obstacle was the cooperation of Gray's friends, most of which were retied fishermen or boys from school. Max was unsure if they'd cooperate. The first house changed all that. The Perring family owned a huge waterfront house on Wolfe, and was happy to help Gray and sympathized with Max. They quickly sent search parties throughout the island, looking in houses and areas without waterfront access. They sent the _Osprey_ on its way, promising to call the marina office that night. The same reaction took place at most of the other houses, being so enthusiastic to help Gray. During a break to eat lunch at the Cavanaugh's, Gray was eating out on the porch and Max ate with Thomas Cavanaugh in the kitchen.

"Hey, uh, Tom?" he asked. Tom looked up from his turkey club. "Why do you want to help Gray so much?"

"She's a whiz with boats- actually engines in general, she's willing to give us a hand when the boat sounds funny. Plus, she's a good friend, even if she's dead quiet and packs a lethal right hook. You see how much she cares for Cassie. The two met three years ago and they're inseparable. They aren't lesbians, just roommates. She never breaks a promise, and she helps me in school. It's the right thing to do." Max nodded.

"Thanks a lot- I was curious." Tom nodded.

"No problem, Max. Good luck."

Every day the pressure to find 99 rose higher and higher. The monster inside of Max began to stir, and some days he felt like punching whoever came up to him and said they were sorry that 99 was gone. He didn't want them to be standing there saying they're sorry, he wanted them to be out there looking for 99. The monster came out once too. After Cassie said that they shouldn't check for 99 on Tom Thumb Island, Max punched her hard enough in the stomach to make her keel over, gasping for air. The next thing he knew, he was in the water; Gray had scoffed him so hard in the head that the force knocked him out and into the water. Gray then pulled him out.

"Sorry 'bout tha'." She muttered. "Saw ya' nail Cassie. Hate seein' her 'n pain tha' I din' do."

"I'm sorry too. It's just that, when she said that we shouldn't check Tom Thumb, I got mad, and I just had to hit her. I love 99 too much to let Cassie joke like that."

"She waddn' jokin' Tom Thumb's 'bout two feet 'round, ain' no way she could be there."

"Oh." Driving by Tom Thumb proved Cassie and Gray right- there was barely enough room for the juniper tree to be there. After that, Max knew to trust Cassie and Gray whenever they mentioned an island.

"I don't get it." Max said the next evening. He sat in the easy chair in Gray and Cassie's house.

Gray was wrapping yarn around the thumbtacks on the chart, registering where they had searched, while Cassie was reading the newspaper.

"Don't get what?" Cassie asked looking up.

"Today we passed by this huge old stone house, and it was a complete mess. Why build a house that big if you can't afford to keep it that way?"

Cassie looked over at Gray.

"Boldt's Castle." She said.

Cassie nodded in understanding.

"What's Boldt's Castle?" Max asked.

"Boldt's Castle is a summer house this guy, George Boldt, starting building for his wife in 1900. He owned the Waldorf in NYC, and he was really rich, and he loved his wife. She died in 1904, before the castle was finished, and Boldt was so depressed, he ordered everyone to stop working and they all just left. You can still find tools and stuff there. That place's been empty for almost 65 years."

"D'y' think?" Gray asked. Cassie looked over at her.

"Oh, my…" Cassie started. She glanced up at the clock. It was only eight-thirty. She looked over at Max, who was completely oblivious to the whole conversation.

"Oh my what?" Max asked.

"I think we may have found 99." Cassie said. Max leapt up out of the chair. Gray went into the closet and pulled out sweatshirts and blankets, as well as a few towels- just in case. Max grabbed his sweatshirt and put it on. Cassie handed him a windbreaker.

"It gets cold at night with all the wind." She said. Max nodded and put on the windbreaker as well. Gray also pulled out a pair of CB radios, and set them all to an empty channel. She then pulled out three flashlights and made sure they all had good batteries.

"We're goin'." She muttered. Max followed them out onto the dock and leapt into the boat. Wolfe followed. Gray had pinned a flashlight underneath his collar. Gray started the _Osprey_, and headed out onto the chilly river. Cassie was right- Max's teeth were chattering, it was so cold. They passed underneath the bridge and came up to the myriad pf lights that were the town of Alexandria Bay. Gray slowed the boat to a crawl, the engine purring like a content cat. She circled the island twice, before pulling in underneath an old arch and into a small bay. The docks were old and creaky; Gray tied the boat to several broken boards, then pulled Max and Cassie out. Max stared up at the castle in awe. The docks were overlooked by the tallest tower, which rose up like a black shadow above him. Gray led them across the docks, using Wolfe to test the boards' ability to support weight. They finally came to the front porch.

"Sniff it." Gray told Wolfe, who pressed his nose against the door. He shook his head.

"Din' use 'ere." Gray said, and Wolfe sniffed the front porch. Once again, he stopped and shook his head.

"Din' go 'ere" Gray concluded, and stepped off the front porch. Cassie scanned the castle grounds. A long passageway led one side of the castle.

"Gray, look!" she whispered, pointing. Gray turned and faced her.

"Nice."

"They must've used it for servants or something. C'mon!" Cassie led them to the passage and through one of the glassless windows. The entire passage smelled like moldy raincoats. They followed the passageway, their footsteps creating deafening echoes and the wind whistling through holes in the mortar. The finally stepped up a flight of stairs and came to the castle's main hall. Gray and Wolfe trudged up a small set of stairs while Cassie and Max walked to the main staircase. The boards creaked with every step. The endless empty rooms were all deserted. They searched for what seemed like hours, shining the flashlight into separate rooms, searching for any sign of life. Mice sere startled by the bright light, and their endless squeaking started to get on Max's nerves. After ascending the tower, Cassie touched Max on the shoulder. His yell echoed through the empty halls.

"Jesus, Max, you look like you saw a ghost." She whispered.

"Ha. What's the matter?"

"No sign of 99. I thought we might've had her. I'm thinkin' we go and meet Gray."

Max nodded and yawned.

"You tired?" Cassie asked.

"Me? No." Max replied. Cassie rolled her eyes. They came to a landing.

"I'm gonna call Gray." she said, and walked off. Max sat down and closed his eyes, resting for a minute.

He got up and started walking through the castle, trying to find Cassie. He came to a room with a closed door, and the stench of blood and rotting flesh drafting in. He opened the door, and looked in, shining the flashlight. In the far corner lay a heap covered by a sheet. Blood dribbled from underneath the sheet. Max's heart performed a beautiful triple twist into his stomach as he walked into the room. A human hand poked out from under the sheet, clenched into a tight fist. Max's hand began to tremble. The light caught a glint of something on their ring finger. A diamond ring. Max bent down. It looked just like 99's wedding ring. He grabbed a corner of the sheet, and yanked it off. There lay 99, the knife handle still poking out of her chest.

"**99! _NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_**" Max yelled as he fell to his knees. 99 was paler than the sheet, blood dried to her clothes. Max curled into a fetal position, rocking back and fourth uncontrollably. 99 couldn't be gone, she just couldn't. Max felt empty, and the monster was scared off by the screams. He reached out to touch 99, and his cheek caught on fire.

"Wake up, you bastard!"

Max opened his eyes. He was bathed in sweat, Wolfe, Cassie and Gray standing over him. He lay on the castle floor, curled in a fetal position. He touched his hand to his cheek, which was tingling and burning.

"What the hell?" he began.

"You fell asleep, and had a nightmare. Gray and I heard you scream from two floors up. We ran down here thinking you'd found her, and you were shaking like a dog. Gray slapped you and you woke up." Cassie explained as Gray handed him a towel.

"I saw 99- she had been stabbed. The- the knife was still in her and everything."

"She ain' 'ere." Gray said as she helped him up.

"Now what?" Max asked. He wanted to back to the house.

"We go back." Gray said, to Max's relief, and they all walked back through the castle, Cassie supporting Max.

The trip back to the house was silent, Max was jumpy, Cassie was tired, and Gray was being her usual self. They entered the house, which was hot compared to the frigid river wind.

"Jeez!" Max exclaimed, "It's like an oven in here!"

Gray's face brightened.

"Tha's it!" She yelled out

"What's it?" Cassie yawned.

"Devil's Oven!" Gray yelled out, and pointed at the map.

"Huh?" Max asked. Cassie's face brightened as well

"Devil's Oven! If she wasn't at Boldt's castle, she'd be in Devil's Oven!"

"Of course, Devil's Oven! How could she be anywhere but Devil's Oven! Why didn't w think of Devil's Oven! Say, What is Devil's Oven?" Max asked.

"Devil's Oven is a cave just outside of A-Bay," Cassie explained, "on Devil's Island. According to legend, pirate Bill Johnston hid in the cave from 1838 to 1839 to avoid capture. Gray's been in there before."

Max looked over at Gray, who nodded.

"S' a nice, big cave wi' an un'erwa'er en'rnce, but air c'n git in." Max nodded.

"Tomorrow night, we go get her." Cassie said.


	4. Part III: The Rescue

PART III: The Rescue 

The next morning, Max woke up at eleven a.m. Cassie was busy packing for the night's rescue; packing clean blankets, towels, flashlights, rope and a first- aid kit.

"Where's Gray?"

"Oh, she's out bringing a skiff to Katie Maxwell's house on Millionaire's Row. We don't want to use a motorboat, 'cause it'll let them know we're there."

"When are we leaving?" Max asked.

"In roughly twelve hours. You should go and check out of that hotel."

Max nodded in agreement. He shaved and changed into clean clothes, then walked out the door and into town. He checked out of the hotel, then instead of heading back to the marina, he walked to the town docks past the hardware store. He stopped and sat at a park bench, staring out at the river. The Calumet water tower was just across the shipping channel, the only remnants of the castle that burned in 1957. As Max stared at the blackened tower, a black ship trudged into view, heading east to Montreal. Squinting, Max could just make out the white lettering on the side of her bow: _Seaway Queen._ Max continued to stare, and the _Seaway Queen _exchanged horn blasts with another ship heading west. As the black _Seaway Queen_ pulled out of view, a maroon ship sailed into view, _Edmund Fitzgerald _painted on her bow.

"ARF! ARF!" the call of a 210- pound Newf scared Max out of his wits. He turned to see Wolfe's chest in his face. He was knocked off the bench and pinned onto the grass, smothered with doggie kisses.

"Wolfe! (Ack!) Get- get off!"

"Wolfe- offa him!" Gray yelled out. Wolfe whined and stepped off of Max. Gray helped him up. He turned to look out at the channel just as the _Edmund Fitzgerald_ sailed out of view.

"Nice ship, ain' she?" Gray asked. Max nodded.

"That's the second biggest ship I've ever seen. What're you doing here?" he asked her.

"Rope, fer t'ni'." Gray said, motioning to her bag. Max smiled. "C'mon." she said and led him onto the dock and into the _Seaway Osprey_. They flew to Devil's Island, Gray pointing out the entrance to the cave. Several men were fishing on a boat anchored nearby. Gray circled the island, then sped back to the marina, passing the _Seaway Queen_ twice.

"Gray," Max began, "I recognized one of the fishermen on that boat by the island," he said, his pulse quickening, "from KAOS. They're definitely there." Gray started humming Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire".

That night, Max was both nervous and anxious. Since Cassie and Gray didn't have oxygen tanks, they were going to have to hold their breath in the yard-long passage through the cave, which opened to a five-foot deep pool. The bottom of the cave sloped out of the water, and there were many juts in the rocks that created platforms. Gray was busy packing the _Seaway Osprey_ so it would be easy to unpack- she would be rowing the skiff to Devil's Island. At eleven o'clock exactly, Max got into the _Osprey. _He wore a pair of swim bottoms and a fleece sweatshirt. Cassie wore her usual periwinkle swimsuit and a matching periwinkle sweatshirt. Gray wore her "MONTREAL CANADIENS: 1966 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS" shirt and a pair of black swim bottoms. Wolfe was coming too- he was to guard the boat. They pulled out of the marina, and flew to the bridge, then stopped at a house thirty yards away from Devil's Island. A canoe with rowboat oars was tied to the end of the dock. Gray docked the _Osprey_. They quickly transferred the equipment into the skiff while Katie Maxwell looked on, holding a kerosene lantern for them.

"G' luck." she said as Gray rowed them off into the night. Several minutes later, Gray stopped the skiff as Wolfe jumped onto Devil's Island. Cassie followed, tying the stern of the boat in a quick-release knot to a tree that didn't have enough sense to grow on level ground. Gray gave her the bowline, and got out of the boat. Max followed, scrambling onto the rock. Cassie pulled the bowline extra tight, and tied another quick-release knot. Max looked downward into the water. Gray pointed. The faint glow of light shone from inside the rock. Max pulled off the sweatshirt, goose bumps instantly running down his body. Cassie did the same. Gray nodded to them, and lowered herself into the water. Max followed, the water pleasantly warm. Cassie slid in last. Gray showed Max the entrance to the cave, ropes wrapped over her shoulder, a twelve-inch knife in her teeth. She dove down and disappeared. Max took a deep breath and followed, keeping his eyes open to see the light. The cave entrance was just below the surface of the water, and just wide enough for him to paddle with his arms. He pushed himself in, stalking the bottoms of Gray's feet. Suddenly, light flooded his view and the passage widened out. Max swam up to thelight, taking a quiet gulp of air. There were at least a dozen big burly KAOS agents in the cave, all sound asleep. Two kerosene lamps stood on juts in the rock. Cassie pulled up by Max's arm.

"Are they dead?" she whispered.

"Drunk." replied Gray, motioning to the stack of Coors cans with the knife in her hand. Discarded guns lay by them Cassie waded over and snatched them up, and tossed them into the water.

"Nice." Max whispered, scanning the cage for his wife. Gray elbowed him. He looked over and saw her pointing to a body laying on one of the ledges. She was thin and covered in dried blood.

"99." Max whispered, and quickly and quietly waded out of the rock and over to 99.

"Max!" Cassie hissed, just as Max stepped on a KAOS agent's hand. Max rolled his eyes. Gray rushed over to him just as the KAOS agent sat up and grabbed Max's leg.

"Vell, now, vat do ve have 'ere?" He asked

"Would you believe I'm a very lost tourist?" Gray slapped herself in the face, then walked up the KAOS agent.

"Two CONTROL agents, I vas only expecting Schmart!" Gray nailed the man square in the face, knocking him out as well as breaking his nose.

"Nice." Max said, and continued carefully over to 99. He was relieved to see her breathing, but her pulse was slow and slurred, and her pale skin cool to the touch. She was covered in cuts and gashes, most of which had scabbed over, however some of them were still dripping blood. Her face was sheet- white, and Max's hand trembled as he turned her head to face him. The monster stirred.

"99?" he asked. Her blue eyes fluttered open.

"Max…" she muttered faintly, and gave him a small smile.

"MAX!" Gray yelled, just as Max felt the hand grab him from behind. He flew backwards into another KAOS agent, knocking the wind out of himself. The KAOS agent who had thrown him aside pulled 99 off of the ledge by her hair. She fell onto the rock, skinning her palms and gasping for air. KAOS yanked her to her feet and put a knife to her throat..

"Make one move Smart, and your beloved 99's gone." 99 gave Max a look of fear and panic. Max glanced over at Gray, trying to fend off three KAOS agents while blood dribbled down her chest. Cassie was behind him, holding off the rest. Gray dove for the gap in between one of the KAOS agents' legs, swinging her knife upwards. The howl of pain distracted all the other KAOS agents; the one that held 99 let go, and she rushed towards Max. The agent then tripped her, and she fell onto the rock once more. The agent swung his knife upwards. 99 rolled over and was able to hold off the knife with her hands. A war of the wills ensued as 99 pushed up against the KAOS agent's shoulders as he reached down with the knife, trying to slit her throat. Max whirled around to fight the KAOS agent that held him. He ducked a shot to the head and the monster threw in a punch to the stomach. The agent keeled over, and Max gave him a ferocious karate chop that caught the back of his neck and pushed him into the rock. He turned back to see 99's arms shaking horribly as she held off the KOAS agent. Max punched the agent in the head just as 99 let go. They both laid limp at Max's feet. Max pulled off the unconscious agent to see the knife handle poking out from just above 99's collarbone.

"**NO!**" Max cried and knelt down beside her. Her chest was rising and falling, her breathing staggered. Max pulled out the knife and blood poured out.

"She alright, Max?" Cassie asked.

"Dunno." He said. He heard another KAOS agent yell, and turned to see a blood- slicked Gray nail the last KAOS agent in the side of the head, and he fell, out for the count. All the others were knocked out or dead. Gray snatched up her rope and handed it to Max She then plunged into the pool.

"99?" Max asked. "99!"

No reply. He kissed her forehead.

Gray emerged from the pool, blood dribbling from one gash on her chest and two gashes on her left arm.

"We gotta git outta 'ere, now." She said. Cassie nodded.

"Tie 99 to me, I'll take her out of the cave." Gray nodded, and Cassie lay on the rock while gray bound 99 to Cassie, back-to-back.

"Done." Gray said, and Cassie quickly shot herself through the tunnel.

"You comin'?" Gray asked Max, her own knife in her teeth. She disappeared into the water. Max followed. Taking a deep breath of air, he emerged from the cavern. In the dim light of Cassie's flashlight, he could see her wrapping 99 up in towels and blankets up on the island, and Gray was clearing out a spot in the boat. Max climbed up onto the island, the cold air causing him to shiver. Gray handed him a towel, then wrapped another around Cassie's shoulders.

"Thanks, Gray." Gray nodded, then took the last towel, rubbing her shoulders, then taking of her shirt, and wrapping it underneath her arms. She then grabbed her windbreaker and threw it on, while Max applied pressure to 99's bleeding shoulder.

"Les' git outta 'ere." Gray said, and loaded up the skiff. They set off towards Katie Maxwell's house, Gray rowing strong, even while her blood stained her windbreaker. Max lay curled with 99, trying to keep her warm and her neck from bleeding. Katie saw them coming and called the police, then Max called CONTOL.

"Chief? It's 86."

"Max? What's the matter? Do you have 99?"

"Yeah."


	5. Part IV: The Recovery

PART IV: The Recovery 

Max paced the small lobby of Riverside hospital, awaiting a doctor's return from 99's exam room. Gray was off getting stitches for her three gashes, and Cassie sat in the waiting room, reading the newspaper. The Chief was on his way from Washington, but it would be hours before his arrival. The local authorities agreed to let Washington investigate the kidnapping; they just brought all twelve KAOS agents into custody. Max looked over at Cassie, who looked over the paper back at him. Her eyes lit up.

"GRAY!" She exclaimed. Max turned around to see Gray, her left arm bandaged, returning with one of the doctors. Gray gave them a hint of a smile and sat down by Cassie.

"Mr. Smart?" The doctor asked. Max nodded. The doctor took a deep breath. "Your wife's going into surgery right away. She has several infections from her open wounds, and she's weak from the loss of blood. Her body temperature's a bit low, and her shouler, the knife only cut through muscle, not a serious wound."

Max thought a moment. "How long before she can travel?"

"About three weeks." Max sighed.

"Mr. Smart?" Max looked over at him. "Another three days in that cavern and your wife would probably be dead."

"How long before she's out of surgery?"

"A couple hours. I suggest you go home and get some sleep." Max looked over to see Gray and Cassie nodding in agreement. He reluctantly decided to leave the hospital.

Later that evening, Max sat in the easy chair, staring out the window, waiting for Riverside to call the office. Cassie came over and handed him a beer.

"Drink." She said. Max took it, and drank half of it down. It settled the monster. Max continued to drink. Gray entered the room, rubbing her eyes. Cassie turned to her.

"Gray- you gotta take it easy." Gray nodded.

"Jus' go' ba' from the offi'. Max- Riv'si' called- 99's alri'." Max leapt up from his chair. Gray continued to stare at him "An' yer Chief's a' Riv'si'- We c'n go an' meet 'im." Max threw on a sweatshirt. Cassie yawned and turned off the light. Gary started up the ever- faithful _Osprey, _and off they trekked to Riverside hospital. Max trudged into the waiting room, where the Chief waited.

"Max-"

"Chief! How is she?"

"Max, calm down, she's going to make it." The monster inside of Max executed a perfect back flip of joy.

"Where is she?" Max asked earnestly, looking around.

"She's in ICU, and you can go see her." One of the nurses said, coming from the hall. "Come with me." Max followed her down a different hallway. "Remember, she's asleep, and still very weak. We've got her breathing humidified oxygen, and she's got a few IV drips. We don't mind if you get into bed with her, but I'd wait until she's off the oxygen and out of ICU. " She opened a door, and Max entered the dimly-lit room.

There was a hissing noise as 99 inhaled and exhaled from the oxygen tank. There was a bandage around her neck and an oxygen mask on her face. Her eyes were closed, and her arms were covered in bandages. Max's hands shook as pulled over a chair. He sat by the side of her bed, too tired and numb to cry. He took her thankfully warm hand, and gave it a squeeze. He then laid his head on the bed, and fell asleep.

"Max… Max!" Max felt hands on his shoulders as someone shook him awake. He opened his eyes to see the Chief standing next to him.

"Huhwha?"

"Are you okay? One of the nurses thought you might've died." Max shook his head, then glanced over at 99, who was still asleep.

"Max?" he turned back to the Chief, who pulled up a chair beside him, "You need to tell me what happened. I sent Cassie and Gray back to their house, they'll be back later today."

Max cracked his neck, then took a deep breath.

"Well," he began. He described the night's trip to the cave, how when they got there, all the KAOS agents were drunk, and how he stepped on the KAOS agent's hand going to 99, and then the fight that proceeded.

"…Damn, Chief, you should've seen Gray. She got sliced in the chest, and she kept on going. If one of the KAOS agents complains of bleeding 'down there', it's because Gray nailed him with the knife." The Chief laughed.

"Cassie, I don't know how she did it, but somehow she held off at least eight of them, no sweat." Max said.

"Almost all agents had guns, Max, I'm surprised no shots were fired."

"Cassie took care of that. Before the agents woke up, she grabbed all the guns she could find and threw them into the river."

"Max, we found how KAOS is smuggling. They're using the ships. Only select companies, but they're transferring cargo from Lake Superior to the Atlantic." Max nodded.

"What companies did they bribe?"

"Only two- Patterson Shipping and Kingston Atlantic Overseas Shipping, which by the way, is a company owned and created by KAOS."

"Oh, the old 'creating your own company for smuggling' trick1 that's the second time I've seen it this month!"

Three days later, Max sat in 99's room, clutching her hand. Her temperature had been rising slowly, she was still using the oxygen mask. She still hadn't woken up, and Max was worried sick. Gray and Cassie had visited, even bringing an amazing "river bouquet", a vase filled with yellow, white, and purple water lilies, accented by pine boughs from Devil's Island and juniper twigs from Tom Thumb. All twelve KAOS agents were at CONROL headquarters, facing charges of kidnapping, assault, and treason. As Max held 99's hand, he ran his fingers across her knuckles, memorizing every contour of her hand. He paused as he brushed her wedding ring and her engagement ring, taken from the League of Bald-Headed Men. He gave her hand another squeeze, and he felt a squeeze back. He loosened his grip, and felt her hand clinging to his. He looked up at her face. She groaned and her eyes fluttered open, searching the room for Max. She focused on him and gave a small smile.

"99…" he began, and bent over her, kissing her cheek.

"Love…" she hissed through the mask.

"How you feeling?" he asked.

"Not….good…" she said. "How long…" she began. Max patiently waited for her words. "How long… have you been…here?" she murmured, breathlessly.

"Three days." Max said. 99 raised her eyebrows.

"...And…loving it." She added. Max laughed.

"Oh, Sweetheart…" He kissed her forehead.

"Max…"she muttered back. "Max…in the cave..." she started, "they…they…" Tears spilled from her eyes.

"They what, 99?"Max asked wiping the tears.

"Max…they…" she tried. The monster inside Max curdled.

"Rape." It was a barely audible murmur. 99 started crying. Max's eyes widened.

"99..." He said, wiping her eyes, "99- listen. Those- those bastards, they'll pay, don't worry- I still love you. You loved me enough to go through all that crap- I'm sticking with you." 99 stared. Max smiled at her, then took off his shoes and snuggled into bed with her. Her held her against him.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yeah..." 99 said, and sniffled. Max leaned his head against her shoulder.

99's progress was immaculate. After only one week, she was out of ICU and in her own room. The mask was off, and she was much stronger-she could sit up on her own. After another few days, she wanted to meet Cassie and Gray. Max agreed.

"Gee, Max, she don't look half bad!" Cassie exclaimed coming into the room, carrying another bouquet. Gray whistled in agreement. "Hi, I'm Cassie Raye." She said, shaking 99's hand.

"Gray O'Connor." Gray said, and nodded to 99. "Cleans up perty gud." Wolfe barked. 99 saw her arm.

"Oh, no, is that from the cave?" Gray nodded.

"Don' worry, nailed em' in the balls wi' the knife- said it was fr'm you." 99 burst out laughing.

"Did you really?"

"Heah- then punched 'im in the face."

Two weeks later, 99 was officially released from Riverside. Her neck healed nicely, a freckle-like scar was the only reminder. As she walked on the dock in Alexandria Bay, holding Max's hand, she noticed he was uneasy: he was jumpy and constantly looking over his shoulder.

"Max?" she asked, "What's wrong?"

"I'm nervous about the lack of-" Suddenly they were both shoved off the dock and into the cool water. They both looked up to see Cassie laughing her head off on the dock.

"Hey, where's Gray?" 99 yelled. Cassie shrugged.

"I dunno… the_ Osprey _was here this morning." she said with a giggle. Gray appeared from behind her and grabbed her.

"GRAY!" Cassie yelled, "You throw me in and I'll.." Gray's eyes gave off an evil twinkle, and she walked to the edge of the dock, holding Cassie precariously over the edge, a huge grin on her face.

"ONE!" she yelled, swinging Cassie back over the dock.

"Gray, you even try..." Cassie yelled in protest.

"TWO!" Gray swung Cassie over the water.

"JENNIFER GRACE!" Cassie yelled.

"THREE!" Gray yelled out, swinging Cassie back over the dock, dropping her with a THUD onto the wood, and leaping into the air in a perfect cannonball position. 99 ducked into Max's chest as water engulfed them. The splash not only soaked Max and 99, it spread well over the dock, drenching Cassie in the process. She sat up, water streaming down her face as Gray gave her a innocent smile from the water.

"You goin' Down, Gray!" Cassie yelled, and dove in just as Gray disappeared underwater. Max smiled, and reached his arm around 99's shoulders. his fingers scraping the scab by her neck. She grinned at him, and treading water in the mighty St. Lawrence River, they kissed.

**NOTES:**

-- Cassie Ann Raye and Jennifer Gray O'Connor are named after friends and a P.E. coach.

-- Katie Maxwell and Tom Cavanaugh are named after teachers.

-- The _Seaway Osprey_ is a spin-off of George Lucas's _Millennium Falcon, _and the number1209 is a modified zip code

-- The _Seaway Queen _and _Edmund Fitzgerald_ were both ships built in 1959, when the St. Lawrence Seaway was opened. The _Seaway Queen_ was sold for scrap in 2002, while the _Edmund Fitzgerald_ sank in 1976.

-- The town of Alexandria Bay and the village of Clayton are located on the Saint Lawrence Seaway in upstate New York.

-- Boldt Castle was purchased in 1972 by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority, and has been restored as a museum.

-- In honor of Bill Johnston and other pirates of the Thousand Islands, the town of Alexandria Bay holds the "Pirate Days" festival every August. Guided dives into Devil's Oven are popular.


End file.
